Holly Grant – Anastasia McCrumpet und der Tag, an dem die Unke rief/ The League of Beastly Dreadfuls (Incl. Short English Review)

I listened to this audiobook in German and since I was asked to review it, I did that in German as well. For a short English review please see further below.

Hörbuch (4 Cds)
Verlag: Der Hörverlag
Sprecher: Katja Riemann
Zeit: 5 h 37 min

Klappentext:

Verschwörung der Mono-Brauen
Von Unglücks-Unkenrufen lässt sich die fast elfjährige Anastasia McCrumpet eigentlich nicht so leicht erschrecken! Aber als sie von der gefürchteten Lehrerin Miss Sneed aus dem Unterricht geholt wird, spürt sie sofort, dass Unheil droht. Und richtig: Anastasias Eltern sind einem seltsamen Staubsaugerunfall zum Opfer gefallen und müssen sich an einem weit entfernten Ort davon erholen. Zwei angebliche Großtanten stehen schon bereit, um Anastasia mit in ihr verstaubtes Zuhause zu nehmen. Dort wird ihr schon sehr bald sehr mulmig: nachts heulen Geräusche durchs Haus, und an den Wänden hängen Bilder von verschwundenen Kindern und von finsteren Damen mit zusammengewachsenen Augenbrauen … Als Anastasia zwei im Haus versteckte Jungen entdeckt, planen die drei Kinder eine tollkühne Flucht! (der Hörverlag)

In Kürze:

+ spannend, ein wenig gruselig, unterhaltsam
+ amüsanter Wortwitz für den erwachsenen Leser
+ liebenswerte Hauptfigur
+ toll gelesen von Katja Riemann

Meinung:

Anastasia ist ein sympathisches junges Mädchen, das aufgrund der Beerdigung einer Topfpflanze ihres Vaters fast ihren Schulbus verpasst, versehentlich ihr Halloweenkostüm vom Tag zuvor anzieht und dann auch noch in eine Pfütze fällt. Doch so schlecht der Tag anfangen mag, es kommt noch schlimmer. Sie wird von 2 Tanten abgeholt, die sie nicht kennt, die behaupten Anastasias Eltern hätten einen Unfall und die sie in ihr altes verstaubtes Haus (mit Wachpudeln die mit Metallgebissen ausgestattet sind) mitnehmen. Anastasia muss alles daran setzen, dort wegzukommen, den die Bilder verschwundener Kinder, die in dem Haus hängen, bedeuten nichts Gutes.

Die Geschichte ist wirklich spannend, ein wenig gruselig, dabei doch auch amüsant. Den ein oder andere Wortwitz mögen die jüngeren Zuhörer vielleicht nicht verstehen, aber für die Eltern, die entweder vorlesen oder mithören müssen, sind diese Spiele unterhaltsam. Schön sind auch die vielen kleinen Hinweise, die der ältere Leser zwar recht schnell erkennt, während die jüngeren Zuhörer etwas später zur Erkenntnis kommen, sich aber an den Reaktionen und der Entdeckung der Kinder erfreuen kann.

Die Geschichte entwickelt sich recht flott ist dabei aber nicht zu schnell oder überfordernd. Der Ideenreichtum der Autorin (ich sage nur Wachpudeln und Monobrauen) haben der Geschichte eine absurde, dennoch charmante und unterhaltsame Seite verliehen.

Die Figuren sind wirklich liebenswert und die Bösewichte auch wunderbar und manchmal auch subtil böse – nicht nur in Bezug auf die Handlungen sondern auch mit Hinblick auf die Stimme.

Katja Riemann hat wirklich ganz wunderbar gelesen und es geschafft, den Figuren ansprechende und vielseitige Stimme zu verleihen. Es war ein wirklicher Hörgenuss.

Vielen Dank an der Hörverlag für die Bereitstellung des Rezensionsexemplars.

Fazit:

Ein spannendes, unterhaltsames Kinderbuch mit einer tollen Sprecherin und vielen kleinen Geschenken für den erwachsenen Leser.

In English:

Holly Grant’s first book The League of Beastly Dreadfuls is wonderful, entertaining, thrilling, and a little bit creepy. Anastasia is a lovely and wonderful young girl who stands at her fathers side at the funeral of his potted plant. She wears her Halloween costume to school (when Halloween is over) since she did not have time in the morning (funerals for plants and all) to get dressed properly, and she lands in a puddle, when running after the bus. She though her day could not get any worse, but she was very wrong. Two aunts that she has never heard of, pick her up from school – she is told her parents had a hoover accident – and take her to an old Victorian asylum. Anastasia has to find a way out or she will end up like one of those children, whose pictures she discovered on the walls of the asylum.

This is a wonderful and fast-paced story, yet not to fast-paced for the younger reader. The puns throughout the story are quite entertaining for the parents who might have to read or listen to the book, the same holds true for the little hints and twists that will be discovered by the more experienced reader quite quickly, but who will then enjoy watching their kids figure it out.

The characters are very likeable and the villains are quite villanous – sometime only subtly so.
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook.

Über die Autorin:

Holly Grant liebt gruselige und geheimnisvolle Geschichten, seit sie ein Kind war. Wäre Holly ein Känguru, hätte sie immer einen guten Krimi in ihrem Beutel. Wäre sie ein Klammeraffe, dann würde zum obersten Regal hinaufklettern, dorthin, wo in allen Bibliotheken die ganz geheimen Bücher versteckt sind. Wäre sie ein Mensch, dann wäre sie in der Lage gewesen, diese Geschichte selbst zu tippen, statt das gesamte Manuskript Miss Sneed zu diktieren, einer Sekretärin mit einer verdächtigen Monobraue.

My Reading Months April and May

It has been quiet on this channel lately. I wish I could just name a good reason or explanation or excuse for it, but none feels good enough. Plain fact: I just didn’t manage to put up content regularly. Life was hectic (but no more than usual), so was work (maybe a little more than usual but it had worse before), but when I had some time off I was relieved that I did not have to look at a computer. There is no excuse, no explanation: I didn’t manage it and I didn’t force myself to do so. Why? I really can’t say.

As I am trying to better myself, I am also trying to get out of some sort of reading slump. Not sure whether this is really a slump or if I don’t have the time. If I won’t to read I don’t have the time to read, but if I have the time I don’t want to. It’s quite the vicious cycle.

Since the reading hasn’t been good in April I decided to wait until May is over in order to get a little bit more content together.

• Books: 4
• Audiobook: 4
• Pages (only books): 1282
• Pages (incl. Audiobooks): 3186
• Minutes listened: 1543 min. (over 25,5 hours)

Books:

Katharina M. Mylius – Ein Fehler mit Vergangenheit (Ein Oxford Krimi)

This is a wonderful and entertaining crime novel that is set in Oxford. The two inspectors investigate a death which occurred during a polo match. Though it looked like an accident it was of course murder. But the deceased was threatened by a woman who has disappeared many years ago and was never found. I really enjoyed the story and the intermingling of the cases. The inspectors were likeable and no depressed or gloomy or heavy drinkers – whoop whoop.

 

Alexander McCall Smith – The Kalahari Typing School for Men (#4)

I thoroughly enjoy the books in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series though I don’t necessarily feel that a lot of detecting is happening really. But the lovely thing is that not a lot of action like things are happening. The characters are keen observers that make the story slow-moving and thus relaxing and enjoyable. It surely is not something for everyone and you have to be in the mood for this.

Maria V. Snyder – Scent of Magic (Healer Trilogy #2)

The Ixia Chronicles are one of my favorite series (at least the first three books in the series, I haven’t made up my mind about the others yet) and I was a little careful to dive into another world, but I did and I loved the first book, so of course I had to continue with the series quite quickly. I loved this one too. The author is capable of creating characters that you can’t help to love. The basic scheme is similar to that of the Ixia chronicles, the action is fast-paced from the start to the very end, I laughed and cried with the characters and I was giddy when I encountered them again.

Maria V. Snyder – Taste of Darkness (Healer Trilogy #3)

After the second book, I had to read the third book right away and I was drawn in from the first page onwards. Again, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, yet it did feel a little more erratic at times, quite jumpy between all the different places and settings and a little rushed. But those things were just slightly nagging feelings yet I could not shut them out.

Audiobooks:

Philip Kerr – Winterpferde/ The Winter Horses

Kalinka has lost everything once the Nazi overrun her town. She manages to flee and hide with the caretaker of a wildlife reserve who has to learn to live with the Nazis who have overrun the reserve. But soon Kalinka is on the run with two rare horses and is desperate to save them and herself from extermination. This is beautiful story about sacrifice, the loyalty of animals and the endurance of the a girl.

Ulrike Schweikert – Das Kreidekreuz

In the Middle Ages Anna marries a councilman to secure her future and shut her family up, yet when the peasant’s revolt comes to her town, so does her childhood sweetheart. Now she is caught between the two sides of the revolt as friends and family make their individual stands and between the two men in her life. This story was interesting, yet as some other stories by the author it could not captivate me. It dragged along and I needed a few breaks in between.

Petra Durst-Benning – Solang die Welt noch schläft

The story about 3 young girlfriends at the turn of the 20th century who all walk different paths in their lives, yet manage to maintain their friendship. I listened to the second book in this series before I even knew it was a series, which I figured out by accident. I really enjoyed the story as it gave an interesting inside into the time and the changing role of women. I also find it quite fascinating that a character that I actually liked in a later story, is incredibly annoying and arrogant in this one. All in all, very entertaining.

Rebecca Martin – Das goldenen Haus

I enjoyed this historical novel which was entertaining, yet the big secret was less big and shocking as I would have anticipated. The novel centers around the family Wessling who opens one of the largest ware houses in Frankfurt. However, the success of the family is build upon betrayal and secrets. Each slowly eats away at the three brothers, who are at the heart of the story, each of them dealing with their past differently. But when Bettina (the oldest brother’s wife) discovers that her marriage is based on a lie this family moves towards an abyss fast.